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Newsmakers

Staff promotions, additions at Texas newspapers.

Kristen Tribe
Richard Greene
Wise County Messenger
Two key Wise County Messenger employees have been promoted to new positions.
Kristen Tribe, editor of the newspaper since 2015, will continue as editor and take on the responsibility of assistant publisher.
Richard Greene, sports editor since 2014, will become assistant editor. Greene became the sports editor in 2009 and served until 2012 when he became editor of The Pilot Point Post-Signal. He returned to the Messenger in 2014.
The promotions were announced by Messenger president and publisher Roy J. Eaton. 
Tribe, a graduate of Texas A&M University, began working at the Messenger while still a student at Alvord High School. She worked part-time and as an intern at the paper during high school and college.
After graduating from Texas A&M she went to work at The Cattleman magazine published by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. She returned to the Messenger as a reporter in 2008.
In addition to her work as editor, she covers Wise County government and the Decatur Economic Development Corp. She is a board member of the Decatur Education Foundation, Decatur Library and Wise Performing Arts Guild.
Tribe and her husband Shane are the parents of two children, Luke and Allie, and are members of the Decatur Church of Christ.
Greene and his wife Deborah live in Justin. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas.
 In addition to his work as sports editor, he has covered the Northwest and Boyd school boards. 
Before coming to the Messenger in 2009, he was the original editor of the Lindsay Letter in Cooke County that started in 2007.

William Carroll
Plainview Herald
William Carroll has succeeded Doug McDonough as editor of the Plainview Herald.
McDonough retired after 41 years at the Herald, including the last five and a half as editor. 
Jeff Shabram, publisher of Hearst’s West Texas Community Newspapers, announced Carroll’s appointment as the sixth editor of the Herald since 1913. 
“His experience and understanding of local news will benefit Plainview greatly,” Shabram said. “He has a keen sense of what is important in community journalism both to maintain our traditional support to the community as well as understanding the community’s expanding digital news needs.” 
Carroll came to Plainview from Oklahoma, where he was publisher of a group of four small weekly papers. Previously he was editor of weekly papers in Kentucky and Arkansas, and was editor of a group of three weeklies in Alabama. Under Carroll’s leadership, the newspaper in Taylorsville, Ky., won a number of Kentucky Press Association awards.
“I’m a news guy at heart. I just wanted to get back to a daily paper and writing stories and editing and getting out and talking to people about what’s important to them,” Carroll said.
Carroll’s first full-time job in journalism was as a reporter for the Hammond (La.) Daily Star in 2012. Before becoming a journalist, he practiced law for 10 years in Kingman, Ariz., including six and a half years as a prosecutor. He and a friend had their own law practice for three and a half years. 

Austin Lewter
The Paris News
PARIS – Northeast Texas native Austin Lewter, former publisher and editor of the Whitesboro News-Record, is the new managing editor of The Paris News.
In announcing the appointment, Publisher Relan Walker noted Lewter brings broad experience in the newspaper industry, having worked in multiple positions, as well as serving and volunteering in the communities in which he has lived. 
Lewter grew up in Grayson County and has a degree in journalism from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in mass communication at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.
The new managing editor started in newspapers as a sports writer. He has been a reporter, editor, managing editor, publisher and group publisher and has held management positions at newspapers across Northeast Texas, including Atlanta, New Boston and Jefferson. He is currently on the board of directors of the North & East Texas Press Association.
Lewter has served as president of the Whitesboro Rotary Club; president of the Collinsville Area Chamber of Commerce; and as a city councilman in Collinsville.
He and his wife, Jennifer, have four children.
“I am passionate about community journalism. I have never aspired to work in big metro market. Community newspapers are vital,” he said. “We are the future of the newspaper industry and I take seriously what we do.”

Ashton Griffin
Henderson Daily News
HENDERSON – Ashton Griffin is the new managing editor for the Henderson Daily News.
Publisher Dan Moore announced the reporter’s promotion to managing editor. In her new post, Griffin will take on the day-to-day oversight of the editorial department as the HDN begins its new transition to twice weekly publication, Moore said. 
Griffin started with the Daily News in October 2016 after working in marketing for a local car dealership. 
A 2011 graduate of Kilgore High School, she attended Kilgore College, where she was managing editor and co-executive editor of the award-winning student newspaper, The Flare. 
After earning an associate of arts in journalism at KC in 2013, she transferred to Texas Tech University, where she earned a bachelor of arts in public relations in 2015. While at Texas Tech, she served as copy editor of the yearbook and account manager of the student-run public relations firm. 
She and her husband, Ryan, reside in Kilgore. They are active in the Kilgore First Presbyterian Church, where she will become an ordained deacon in December.

Lauren Jette
Elgin Courier
ELGIN – Elgin Courier Sports Editor Lauren Jette has been named managing editor, publisher Kevin Wright announced. 
Jette has been with the Courier as sports and education editor since June 2016. She will continue to cover sports and schools in addition to her editorial duties. 
She holds a journalism degree from The University of Texas, where she was a member of Longhorn Band for four years and wrote for the student newspaper, The Daily Texan. 
After joining The Colorado County Citizen in Columbus as sports editor, Jette was promoted to managing editor in December 2013, a position she held for a year before taking over as editor of The Yoakum Herald-Times. 
Before coming to the Courier, Jette was the sports reporter for The Liberty Hill Independent for a year. 
“Being from a small town, I feel like I have an understanding and appreciation for the news that people want to see in the Courier each week,” Jette said.

Ashley Ford
Waxahachie Daily Light, Midlothian Mirror 
WAXAHACHIE –  Ashley Ford, most recently with Fox 15 in Abilene and Fox News First in San Angelo, has joined the staffs of the Waxahachie Daily Light and Midlothian Mirror as reporter.
Publisher Scott Brooks announced the appointment, noting Ford’s experience in digital news and social media will be an asset for the newspaper.
She succeeds Chelsea Groomer, who recently accepted a position with the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce. 
Ford graduated from Tarleton State University in Stephenville last May. While there, she led an award-winning Texan News Service staff as the editor-in-chief during her senior year, overseeing the production of monthly newspapers and television coverage of local events. She also interned at the Stephenville Empire-Tribune, a sister newspaper of the Daily Light and Mirror. 
During her time in Abilene and San Angelo, Ford served as digital content producer, which involved writing the majority of the content published on the TV stations’ websites, updating the social media pages with breaking news and delivering news on camera.